Name: Booberry Hand Pies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour; 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar; ½ tsp salt; 226 g (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed; 120 g (1/2 cup) buttermilk; 225 g (1 1/2 cups) blueberries; 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar; 15 g (1 tbsp) lemon juice; ⅛ tsp salt; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp water; 80 g (1/3 cup) confectioners' sugar; 15 g (1 tbsp) milk; 1/8 tsp vanilla extract; 1 egg; 15 g (1 tbsp) milk

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These ghostly Booberry Hand Pies are made with a homemade blueberry filling, flaky buttermilk pie crust and a simple vanilla icing!

Ghost shaped Booberry Hand Pies with vanilla icing

BOO! These Booberry Hand Pies are the cutest little Halloween treat to enjoy throughout spooky season! These adorable ghost shaped hand pies are made from my favorite Flaky Buttermilk Pie Crust, filled with homemade blueberry filling and topped with a simple vanilla icing to give them their ghostly complexion. They’re buttery, super flaky and so much easier to make than a whole pie!

Looking for more Halloween treats? Try my Black Cat Sugar Cookies, Ghost Sandwich Cookies or Black Cocoa Crinkle Cookies!

Ingredient Breakdown

Pie Crust:

All-purpose flour – gives the pie crust structure.

Granulated sugar and salt – enhances flavor.

Butter – makes the pie crust flaky.

Buttermilk – provides flavor and makes the pie crust tender. You can substitute with milk.

Blueberry Filling:

Blueberries – fresh or frozen blueberries will work.

Granulated sugar – provides sweetness.

Lemon juice and salt – enhances flavor. Always use fresh lemon juice for best flavor!

Cornstarch and water – mixed together to create a slurry which thickens the filling.

How To Make Booberry Hand Pies

1. Make the Pie Dough: In a mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Place bowl on a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2. Add the cold cubed butter and mix on low until the butter is pea sized.

3. Add half of the buttermilk to the mixture and begin to mix on low speed then gradually add the rest of the buttermilk. Stop mixing when the dough is rough and shaggy.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface then divide in half and shape into 2 discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days.

5. Make the Blueberry Filling: place the blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and salt in a small pot. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until bubbling.

6. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the blueberry mixture then cook for 1-2 more minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

7. Assemble hand pies: Preheat oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 pie disc onto a floured surface and roll out about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out ghosts and place on a prepared baking sheet then return to the fridge.

8. Repeat with the second disc of pie dough then place about 1/2 tbsp of cooled blueberry filling into the center of half of the ghosts. Use a small piping tip or a straw to cut out eyes and a mouth on the remaining ghosts. (I used Ateco 8 for the eyes and Ateco 12 for the mouth)

9. Make an egg wash by whisking the egg and milk. Brush egg wash around the edges of the filled ghosts then place an unfilled ghost on top and use a fork to crimp the edges. Refrigerate assembled ghosts for at least 15 minutes (it’s important to keep the dough cold so it doesn’t lose its shape/flakiness once baked).

10. Lightly brush filled hand pies with egg wash then bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

11. Make the Vanilla Icing: In a small bowl whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. If the icing is too thick add more milk 1/4 tsp at a time. Use a pastry brush to brush the icing onto the cooled hand pies. Booberry Hand Pies are best enjoyed the day they’re made (after that the crust loses it’s flakiness) but they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Pro Tips For Booberry Hand Pies

Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
Keep the butter cold at all times! Cold butter makes a flaky pie crust so put it in the fridge if you notice it getting too warm.
Keep the pie dough cold at all times especially before putting the hand pies in the oven! Cold pie dough helps maintain its structure.
Don’t overwork the pie dough otherwise it will become tough.
Let the hand pies rest in the fridge between steps! This will help relax the gluten which prevents a tough crust.
Make sure the blueberry filling is cooled before putting it on top of the hand pie ghosts. If it’s too warm it will melt the dough.
Use fresh lemon juice in the blueberry filling, not lemon juice from a bottle!
Wait until the hand pies are COMPLETELY COOLED before decorating with the icing otherwise it will melt.

My Favorite Pie Tools

Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
Stand Mixer
Dough measuring strips for these hand pies I used the white strips which are 1/8 inch thick.
Ghost cookie cutter I have this whole set of Halloween cookie cutters but you can also get the individual ghost cutter here.
French rolling pin gives you more control than rolling pins with handles.
Small pastry brush for egg washing pie crust.

Ghost shaped Booberry Hand Pie with vanilla icing

If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂